Feedback immediately after the event:
81% of participants found the event "very helpful".
98% of participants found it either "very helpful" or "helpful".
One participants wrote:
“TDE was by far the best SIL conference we’ve ever been to. It’s the only conference that we have gained so much from. All the instruction was so on point, relevant and practical.”
9 month impact statements:
It is only after the passage of time that the true effectiveness of an event can be measured. We have received many impact statements people have sent us 9 months after the event. These are just some of them:
T, Translation Advisor:
In 23 years of ministry, TDE was the first time I have been invited to a conference that was specifically for translators, translation advisors and translation consultants.
N, exegetical advisor:
TDE was such a help for me personally. It was so helpful having an opportunity to meet and learn from others with more experience and learn from others through the seminars and electives. Meeting in person has also helped to make more of opportunities which have arisen virtually, because I know other participants better.
T, Translation Advisor
One month after TDE my wife and I helped conduct a translation training workshop for 7 language teams (2 of them new projects). During this workshop we shared on some topics that we learned at TDE such as best practices for working with Key Terms.
G, mother-tongue translator and exegete:
This training has helped me a lot when I translate into my own language. An example of this is the discourse track which was on how to write sentences in order. …
The discourse teacher taught very well and was very helpful for me, especially how he shared his experience.
S, exegetical/translation advisor:
After attending TDE and hearing the training entitled "Passing it On," I was prompted to begin praying and asking God if this would be a next step for our team. After several months of discussing, praying, and researching, I indeed sensed that this indeed was a next step. We are excited to begin the process. The MTT in training is also excited and honored and has begun studying Hebrew.
S, translation consultant in training:
For me, TDE was instrumental in deciding to train to become a consultant. …. the conference was useful - I didn't just hear some interesting presentations, practice consulting skills and meet new people. I did these with a definite goal to arrive at a new stage, and that made a big difference. It meant that I didn't just learn from the content but also paid attention to the presentation and methods and kept thinking how I would do it. It made conversations with people more meaningful, since I might meet them in their own contexts in the future. But the highlight of the conference was the practice consultant checking session. One of the consultants, although it wasn't his job, took the trouble to talk to me individually about the things that I could improve in, giving very wise advice. …. Another highlight was how the morning sermons brought Paul alive. Thank you so much for all your work and for the work of the other organisers.
T, translation advisor and language program manager:
The event helped me to see the value of independent exegetes, and our translation team has begun discussion on how to further develop our mother tongue translators in that direction. For me personally it was a good window to other BT workers' tasks, like those of the translation consultant and encouraged me to consider beginning consultant training. Also the event served as an information platform, so after the conference I joined a Biblical Hebrew reading group after hearing about it during the conference.
G, translation advisor:
This kind of event is very motivating…. It gave me a big boost in my work. I always appreciate being reminded of why it is that I do what I do. And a big part of that boost comes from spending time sharing between colleagues, reconnecting with them and encouraging each other in our common work experience.